Camp Sphinx

The first rule of being fifteen: never let anyone see you panic. Especially not Jake, whose smile made my stomach do weird gymnastics. But here I was, standing at the edge of the lake while everyone else had already started swimming.

"You coming, Maya?" Jake called out, treading water like it was nothing. "Or are you still working on your bear impression? Hibernating on shore?"

Everyone laughed. I forced a smile, my brain screaming get in the water NOW before you look even more lame. But my feet felt glued to the wooden dock. The lake looked enormous, dark, and absolutely terrifying.

"I'm... just stretching," I lied. "Runner's prep."

Nice, Maya. Because I was definitely known for my cross-country running skills that didn't exist.

That's when Counselor Ryan appeared with his ancient boom box, holding up a tangled mess of electronics like it was some prize. "Anyone good with this cable mess? The aux cord got destroyed during the bonfire."

"I can fix it," I said without thinking. Because I COULD. I'd spent entire weekends fixing my dad's stereo system after my little brother "accidentally" messed with it.

All eyes were on me as I knelt down, fingers working through the knots. Copper wire exposed here. Tape there. Five minutes later, music thumped through the speakers. Drake, obviously.

"Skills," Jake said, actually sounding impressed. "Now get in here."

I stepped off that dock like I owned it.

Later, around the campfire, Ryan pointed to the granite rock formation overlooking the lake. "That's what locals call the Sphinx. Looks like it's watching us, doesn't it?"

"More like judging us," someone muttered.

"The legend says," Ryan continued, "that the Sphinx sees your true self. No hiding, no pretending."

I looked at Jake, who was staring at the fire, then at the water I'd actually swum in. Maybe camp wasn't about being the loudest or the bravest. Maybe it was about fixing cables and getting in the lake anyway.

"Hey," Jake said, sliding onto the log next to mine. "You fixed that cable crazy fast."

"Just wired that way, I guess."

He laughed. For real this time. And the Sphinx kept watching, and somehow that was okay.